Posts Tagged ‘St. Paul Parks and Rec’

There is nothing more beautiful than skiing under the stars and the northern borealis. In Minnesota our snow is fluffy and squeaky. The air is cold enough to make you gasp. Luckily, we can cross country ski under the stars at several places around the Twin Cities metro area. My favorite is Como Park. With Theodore Wirth Park a close second. Check out the St. Paul Park and Rec Winter Site — For details on skiing in Saint Paul, including trail maps and racing information, check out the Park and Rec web site.

Not too far outside of “the cities” as we say here in Minnesota (and some people actually say “the sin cities”) there are lantern lite trails as well as plain old starlight guiding you across the silver iceland. Mora, Minnesota is only 75 miles north of St. Paul and is the home of the area’s finest cross country night skiing. The Vasaloppet Nordic Skiing Center provides access to 10 kilometers of groomed trails. The Center features a wax room, men’s and women’s changing rooms and sauna, a small kitchen and plenty of room for ski gear and events.

The Lantern Loppet in Mora, MN will take place this coming Saturday January 30th. There is over 5km of Lantern Lit trails with three cabins to warm and refresh yourself. This is a very unique experience for skiers old and new. The Lanterns are lit at dusk with many families bringing hot dogs to roast over one of the fires, for dinner.

I love night skiing in Minnesota. Almost as much as dogsledding (although I DON’T do dogsledding at night!).